Your volatility calendar for February
2/1/2017
FOMC Meeting
February 1, 21:00 MT time
The FOMC decision on the federal funds rate and the corresponding statement are due at 21:00 MT time.
The policy of the Federal Reserve is extremely important for the dynamics of the US dollar. This is the first Fed’s meeting since Donald Trump officially became the US president. According to the forecasts made in December, the FOMC members were aiming at 3 rate hikes at 2017. However, the Fed’s chairwoman Janet Yellen in her recent speech said that she can’t be precise about the timing of interest-rate hikes. No policy changes are expected this time, but traders will still pay great attention to the central bank’s statement looking for hints about its future plans. If the Fed confirms its intention to raise rates this year, the greenback will strengthen, but if the regulator sounds cautious, the US currency will decline.
Bank of England’s meeting
February 2, 14:00 MT time
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will announce its interest rate decision at 14:00 MT time. This event is of paramount importance for the pound’s value. Traders keep in focus this event striving to forecast the future exchange rate of the sterling.
The central bank is not expected to change its monetary policy, but comments of its Governor about the rising inflation will be important. If Mark Carney acknowledges the strength of British economy, the pound will get a short-term boost. If Carney, on the contrary, underlines that uncertainty about the nation’s economic future is still present, the pound will keep snapping its recent recovery.
US Nonfarm Payrolls
February 3, 15:30 MT time
Nonfarm payrolls are scheduled to be released at 15:30 MT time.
The report will reveal the number of jobs created in the United States in January. It is one of the major currency drivers as it allows us to assess the overall health of the US economy. The release often provokes great movements in Forex majors.
RBA Meeting
February 7, 05:30 MT time
Traders will be able to get insights about the Reserve Bank of Australia’s current and future monetary policy at 5:30 MT time. The RBA monetary policy directly affects the exchange rate of Australian dollar, so those who prefer trading Aussie should beware of the upcoming event.
RBNZ Rate Statement
February 8, 22:00 MT time
Reserve Bank of New Zealand is due to announce its interest rate at 22:00 MT time. Last time RBNZ lowered its official cash rate by a quarter point to 1.75% and promised to stay on hold in the near term until New Zealand’s economy needs additional stimulus. The kiwi is very sensitive to this sort of events. So, don’t miss to capitalize on the RBNZ rate announcement this time!
Japanese Preliminary GDP
February 13, 01:50 MT time
Japan’s preliminary GDP for the fourth quarter will be released at 01:50 MT time. Preliminary GDP is the earliest indicator of the country’s economic health. Therefore, it tends to have the biggest impact on the national currency.
All in all, the reading should be fine: stronger December Nikkei PMI suggests that the overall rate of economic growth will have accelerated in Q4 from the 0.3% expansion seen in 3 months to September. JPY should appreciate on stronger data.
US CPI
February 15, 15:30 MT time
Inflation is crucial for the US dollar’s valuation. Heightened inflation rates represent a reason for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in order to maintain the prices stable. US CPI (Consumer Price Index) is closely watched by the Fed’s officials. Any significant deviation from the norm can lead to rate hikes, while lower figures, on the contrary, would disappoint USD bulls. That’s why traders need to keep track of American CPI.
Australian Employment Change & Unemployment Rate
February 16, 02:30 MT time
This is a vital piece of economic data that directly influences Australian dollar’s exchange rate. The higher the employment is, the better the country’s economic growth becomes. Unemployment rate allows to make projections of the currency’s future value as jobless citizens tend to spend less. As a result, traders are very attentive to any changes in these labor market indicators.
FOMC Meeting Minutes
February 22, 21:00 MT time
The Federal Reserve will release a detailed record of its January meeting at 21:00 MT time, providing in-depth insights into the economic and financial conditions that influenced their vote on where to set interest rates. Traders always care about the additional information from the US central bank. The release will affect the US dollar.
US preliminary GDP
February 22, 15:30 MT time
US preliminary GDP will be published at 15:30 MT time. This is the second estimate of American economic growth in the last 3 months of 2016. The first estimate released in January missed forecasts showing that the US economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.9% in Q4, below expectations of 2.2%.
The greenback has direct correlation with this release. If the figures are revised to the upside, the US dollar will rise. In case of the downward revision USD will fall.
Private Capital Expenditure
February 23, 02:30 MT time
Australian dollar tends to react very actively to the private capital expenditure (Capex) releases as Capex is an early indicator of a country’s economic growth. Traders closely watch this event to decipher its impact on the currency. Don’t miss the chance to make money on the Capex data coming at 02:30 MT time!
Capital expenditure release is an important signal of Australian economic activity. Don’t miss the movement in AUD/USD!
More:
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